The invention relates to a mobile feeder according to the preamble part of claim 1 or 2 and to a mounting device for a mobile feeder.
During the production of e.g. traffic surfaces mobile feeders have been employed for years to assist the pavers. The mobile feeders intermediately store the paving material and feed it into at least one paver, e.g. in order to simplify manipulations during the transfer of the paving material and to allow a continuous operation travel for the paver. Larger types of such mobile feeders are equipped with a distributor conveyor band and are for this reason bulky and heavy. A mobile feeder with its distributor conveyor band hardly can be transported from one construction site to another. For this reason the distributor conveyor band is disassembled upon demand. For the mounting procedure or the disassembly procedure at least one hoisting apparatus is needed which has to be transported to the mobile feeder. Mounting or disassembly of the distributor conveyor band is tedious.
It is a task of the invention to create a mobile feeder of the kind as mentioned above allowing to at least disassemble the distributor conveyor band without a supplementary hoisting apparatus such that the mobile feeder can be employed in a more universal way and can be transported more easily, and also to create a mounting device allowing at least a simple disassembly of the distributor conveyor band without the need of a hoisting apparatus.
Thanks to the mounting device which is at least temporarily provided at the mobile feeder and thanks to the driving assembly the mobile feeder contains on-board means for the disassembly and the mounting of the distributor conveyor band such that for these manipulations no supplementary hoisting apparatus is needed. This improves the universal applicability of the mobile feeder. Providing at least one hoisting apparatus and its complicated handling are eliminated. Only the carrying frame with its distributor conveyor band need to be prepared for the co-operation with the mounting device. With the connection assemblies at the mounting device located in low positions it then even can be worked from the ground.
Particularly expedient the mounting device at least partially is integrated into the carrying frame of the distributor conveyor band such that it can be used upon demand at any time. The driving assemblies serve to displace the carrying frame during the mounting or the disassembly but can also be used to hold and position the mounted distributor conveyor band at the mobile feeder. For example, the distributor conveyor band can be kept in its working position at an optimum working altitude.
The mounting device is structurally simple, cheap and compact. It allows a comfortable and quick mounting or disassembly of the distributor conveyor band with its carrier frame and allows, thanks to the ground wheels, to move the disassembled distributor conveyor band on the ground. The mounting device can easily be transported to its application sites and allows to carry out the disassembly or the mounting from the ground since its connecting assemblies are set below the carrier frame. Optionally the structurally simple mounting device belongs to the equipment of each of such mobile feeders. The mounting device can be kept at the distributor conveyor band when the distributor conveyor band is removed from the mobile feeder. It is even possible to keep the mounting device at the mobile feeder when the distributor conveyor band is mounted.
In order to use the height adjustment device of the distributor conveyor band for mounting or disassembly the height adjustment device has a displacement stroke allowing to lower the free end of the distributor conveyor band to the ground.
Expediently at least one hydraulic cylinder is used for mounting or disassembly, respectively, which hydraulic cylinder basically is used during operation of the mobile feeder to adjust the distributor conveyor band about the pivot axis. Hence said cylinder, in most cases a pair of cylinders, fulfils a dual function.
Of advantage is a design of the carrier frame like a double triangular structure into which the fastening parts and the connection assemblies are integrated.
To protect the distributor conveyor band during mounting or disassembly and for easy manoeuvring a ground support ought to be provided at the free end of the distributor conveyor band.
The substantially vertical pivot axis provided in the height adjustment device allows a comfortable lateral adjustment of the distributor conveyor band for the operation of the mobile feeder. Such lateral adjustment can be carried out remotely controlled in automatic fashion, provided that a remotely controlled rotational drive is provided adjusting the distributor conveyor band about the vertical pivot axis. For the mounting device of the mobile feeder, which mounting device partially is integrated into the carrier frame, it is expedient to constitute the drive assemblies by lifting cylinders which are connected between the carrier frame and an oblique conveyor of the mobile feeder and which can be released either from the carrier frame or from the oblique conveyor, as soon as the distributor conveyor band is set on the ground. Those lifting cylinders can be controlled either from the mobile feeder or from the ground.
A stable support of the distributor conveyor band can be achieved by a carrier frame having two triangular structures which are interconnected via a cross beam which is rigid under flexion and torsion and at which the height adjustment device is provided. The lower ends of the carrier frame are anchored by suitable swivel connections to the substructure of the mobile feeder.
In this case it is expedient to provide ground wheels at the carrier frame which ground wheels project downwardly and allow to manoeuvre the removed distributor conveyor band. Advantageously the ground wheels can be adjusted by at least 360xc2x0.
In case that the hydraulic cylinders for swivelling the distributor conveyor band in the holding structure up and down are connected between the holding structure and one end of the distributor conveyor band facing to the mobile feeder, such that the hydraulic cylinders can follow lateral movements of the distributor conveyor band, a remotely controlled rotational drive of random drive principle can be used, e.g. mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic or the like, to carry out the lateral swivelling movements of the distributor conveyor band in automatic fashion. The movements of the distributor conveyor band or its carrier frame relative to the sub-structure of the mobile feeder and/or relative to the mounting device, as needed for mounting or disassembly, can be controlled with the height adjustment device of the distributor conveyor band, provided that the carrier frame is connected to the mobile feeder such that it can be swivelled upwardly and downwardly. This results in a very simple design and a comfortable handling of the mounting device. Alternatively or additively it can be expedient to provide at least one hydraulic lifting cylinder at the frame of the mounting device, which hydraulic lifting cylinder can be connected to the carrier frame such that then the hydraulic lifting cylinder, optionally in co-operation with the height adjustment device of the distributor conveyor band, generates the needed movements. To control this hydraulic lifting cylinder, expediently a pair of hydraulic cylinders, the mounting device can be equipped with its own hydraulic supply. In order to keep the structural efforts for the mounting device as low as possible the hydraulic lifting cylinders alternatively can be connected temporarily to the hydraulic system of the mobile feeder and can be controlled from the mobile feeder.
For a correct positioning of the mounting device below the carrier frame and/or for moving the removed distributor conveyor band to or from the mobile feeder the ground wheels expediently can be adjusted by at least 360xc2x0 about their ground wheel support axes. The distributor conveyor band with the mounting device will be brought for the mounting step to the mobile feeder and can be positioned there precisely and comfortably and with relatively low power efforts. The removed distributor conveyor band, supported on the mounting device even can be moved laterally with respect to the mobile feeder.
The connection assemblies of the carrier frame and also the fastening parts can be released and tightened comfortably and quickly if removable insertion bolts are used.